U.S. patent number 7,677,405 [Application Number 11/562,052] was granted by the patent office on 2010-03-16 for crate for containers.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Rehrig Pacific Company. Invention is credited to William P. Apps, Cynthia R. Meissen, Sean T. Ogburn.
United States Patent |
7,677,405 |
Apps , et al. |
March 16, 2010 |
Crate for containers
Abstract
A crate includes a bottom wall including a plurality of dividers
defining a plurality of container pockets and a peripheral wall
extending upward from a periphery of the bottom wall. The bottom
wall and peripheral wall are thermoformed from a single sheet of
plastic, such as recycled PET bottles.
Inventors: |
Apps; William P. (Alpharetta,
GA), Ogburn; Sean T. (Hoschton, GA), Meissen; Cynthia
R. (Atlanta, GA) |
Assignee: |
Rehrig Pacific Company (Los
Angeles, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
39203283 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/562,052 |
Filed: |
November 21, 2006 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20080116214 A1 |
May 22, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/516;
220/513 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
1/243 (20130101); B65D 71/70 (20130101); B65D
1/36 (20130101); B65D 2501/24019 (20130101); B65D
2501/2414 (20130101); B65D 2501/24127 (20130101); B65D
2501/24222 (20130101); B65D 2501/24108 (20130101); B65D
2501/24082 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
1/36 (20060101); B65D 25/04 (20060101); B65D
85/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;220/513,515,516,519,DIG.15 ;206/203,427 ;D3/311,313 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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568 191 |
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43 39 445 |
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DE |
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299 08 710 |
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DE |
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0531930 |
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Sep 1992 |
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EP |
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0853053 |
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Sep 1993 |
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EP |
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0696543 |
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Feb 1996 |
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EP |
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1 593 608 |
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Apr 2005 |
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EP |
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964919 |
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FR |
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1351218 |
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Dec 1963 |
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FR |
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145936 |
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Jul 1920 |
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GB |
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713281 |
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GB |
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2140393 |
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GB |
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2240326 |
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2257121 |
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GB |
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2416530 |
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Feb 2006 |
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GB |
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2004-244530 |
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Sep 2004 |
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JP |
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WO 99/06299 |
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Feb 1999 |
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WO |
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Other References
US. Appl. No. 12/145,932, filed Jun. 25, 2008 "Tray for
Containers". cited by other .
U.S. Appl. No. 12/032,828, filed Feb. 18, 2008 "Crate for
Containers". cited by other .
International Search Report for PCT Application No.
PCT/US2008/068119, Sep. 12, 2008. cited by other .
International Search Report for PCT Application No.
PCT/US2007/082185, Apr. 16, 2008. cited by other.
|
Primary Examiner: Stashick; Anthony
Assistant Examiner: Grosso; Harry A
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Carlson, Gaskey & Olds
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A crate comprising: a plurality of bottom walls each having a
pocket wall extending at least partially about the periphery of the
associated bottom wall defining a container pocket thereon; a first
lateral divider including an upper surface and contiguous walls
extending generally transversely therefrom to resist bending of the
crate around the first lateral divider, the upper surface of the
first lateral divider including a wide center portion and a pair of
substantially vertical contiguous walls extending downwardly
therefrom, the pair of walls defining a generally perpendicular
channel through the wide center portion of the first lateral
divider; and an upper side wall extending upward from the pocket
wall of each of the plurality of bottom walls, the upper side walls
defining a peripheral wall of the crate, wherein the bottom walls,
the pocket walls and the upper side walls are thermoformed from a
single sheet of plastic.
2. The crate of claim 1 wherein the first lateral divider is one of
a plurality of dividers contiguous with the pocket walls further
defining the container pockets.
3. The crate of claim 2 wherein the bottom wall, plurality of
dividers and peripheral wall all have a substantially constant
thickness.
4. The crate of claim 1 wherein the peripheral wall includes a lip
protruding outwardly from an upper edge of the peripheral wall.
5. The crate of claim 1 wherein the pocket walls are generally
annular.
6. The crate of claim 1 storing a plurality of bottles, each of the
plurality of bottles received in one of the plurality of container
pockets.
7. The crate and bottles of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality
of bottles is in direct contact with at least two others of the
plurality of bottles.
8. The crate and bottles of claim 7 wherein the peripheral wall
includes a lip protruding outwardly from an upper edge of the
peripheral wall and wherein each of the plurality of bottles is in
direct contact with an interior surface of the peripheral wall at
the lip.
9. The crate of claim 1 further including a plurality of tabs
projecting outwardly from the peripheral wall to limit nesting into
a subjacent similar crate.
10. The crate of claim 2 wherein at least one of the lateral
dividers is positioned between each adjacent pair of container
pockets.
11. The crate of claim 1 wherein the contiguous walls extending
transversely from the upper surface of the first lateral divider
form scallops in an upper edge of the at least one lateral
divider.
12. The crate of claim 1 wherein the contiguous walls extending
transversely from the upper surface form recesses in the upper
surface, the recesses further defined by a bottom wall contiguous
with the contiguous walls, the contiguous walls forming a
peripheral wall about the periphery of the recess.
13. The crate of claim 1 further including a generally horizontal
common wall joining the plurality of bottom walls.
14. The crate of claim 1 further including a second lateral divider
and a longitudinal divider, both contiguous with the pocket walls
and further defining the container pockets, the second lateral
divider and the longitudinal divider forming an intersection
defining four of the plurality of container pockets, the
intersection including an upper surface having a recess formed
therein, the recess including a peripheral wall generally
transverse to the upper surface.
15. The crate of claim 14 wherein the peripheral wall is generally
perpendicular to the upper surface.
16. The crate of claim 15 wherein the peripheral wall extends
downwardly from the upper surface.
17. The crate of claim 14 wherein the recess is generally
diamond-shaped.
18. A crate comprising a single thermoformed sheet defining a
plurality of container pockets having bottom walls and dividers
therebetween and a peripheral lip around an upper edge of the
plurality of container pockets; the plurality of dividers including
a first lateral divider including an upper surface and contiguous
walls extending generally transversely therefrom, the upper surface
of the first lateral divider including a wide center portion and a
pair of substantially vertical contiguous walls extending
downwardly therefrom, the pair of walls defining a generally
perpendicular channel through the wide center portion of the first
lateral divider.
19. The crate of claim 18 wherein the peripheral lip protrudes
generally perpendicularly from an upper edge of an outer peripheral
wall of the crate.
20. The crate of claim 19 wherein the dividers each include a pair
of spaced-apart walls, each defining a different one of the
plurality of container pockets.
21. The crate of claim 20 wherein the dividers further each include
an upper wall connecting upper edges of the spaced apart walls.
22. The crate of claim 18 storing a plurality of bottles, each of
the plurality of bottles received in one of the plurality of
container pockets.
23. The crate and bottles of claim 22 wherein each of the plurality
of bottles is in direct contact with at least two others of the
plurality of bottles.
24. The crate and bottles of claim 23 wherein each of the plurality
of bottles is in direct contact with an interior surface of the
peripheral lip.
25. The crate of claim 24 further including a plurality of tabs
projecting outwardly from the peripheral wall to limit nesting into
a subjacent similar crate.
26. The crate of claim 18 wherein each of the bottom walls includes
a recess on a bottom surface thereof for receiving a bottle cap of
a subjacent bottle onto which the crate is stacked.
27. The crate of claim 18 wherein the sheet does not include any
reinforcement ribs.
28. The crate of claim 18 wherein the dividers include a lateral
divider and a longitudinal divider further defining the container
pockets, the lateral divider and the longitudinal divider forming
an intersection defining four of the plurality of container
pockets, the intersection including an upper surface having a
recess formed therein, the recess including a peripheral wall
generally transverse to the upper surface.
29. The crate of claim 28 wherein the peripheral wall is generally
perpendicular to the upper surface.
30. The crate of claim 29 wherein the peripheral wall extends
downwardly from the upper surface.
31. The crate of claim 29 wherein the recess is generally
diamond-shaped.
32. A crate storing a plurality of bottles, the crate comprising a
single thermoformed sheet defining a plurality of container pockets
having bottom walls and dividers therebetween and a peripheral lip
around an upper edge of the plurality of container pockets, the
dividers each include a pair of spaced-apart walls, each defining a
different one of the plurality of container pockets, wherein the
dividers include a first lateral divider including an upper surface
and contiguous walls extending generally transversely therefrom,
the upper surface of the first lateral divider including a wide
center portion and a pair of substantially vertical contiguous
walls extending downwardly therefrom, the pair of walls defining a
generally perpendicular channel through the wide center portion of
the first lateral divider, each of the plurality of bottles
received in one of the plurality of container pockets, wherein each
of the plurality of bottles is in direct contact with at least two
others of the plurality of bottles.
33. The crate of claim 32 wherein the dividers include a second
lateral divider and a longitudinal divider further defining the
container pockets, the second lateral divider and the longitudinal
divider forming an intersection defining four of the plurality of
container pockets, the intersection including an upper surface
having a recess formed therein, the recess including a peripheral
wall generally transverse to the upper surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a crate for use in
retaining and transporting beverage bottles or other
containers.
Plastic soft drink bottles, such as two-liter PET (polyethylene
terephthalate) bottles, are often packaged in crates for storage
and shipment to the stores. The crates of bottles are often stacked
during transportation and display at the store. Typical crates are
injection molded with ribs reinforcing a bottom wall and double
walls around the periphery of the bottom wall. These crates are
relatively stiff and strong to improve the stackability of the
loaded crates. These crates are also durable enough to be returned,
washed and reused multiple times. Eventually, damaged or worn
crates are recyclable. However, it is not possible or practical for
the empty crates to be returned, such as in stores where the
customers carry the bottles from the store in the crates.
Another common packaging for soft drink bottles is corrugated
cardboard, with or without plastic wrap securing the bottles to the
cardboard. The cardboard is light and inexpensive, but it is not
reusable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a crate that is less expensive,
lighter and smaller than the current reusable crates, but unlike
the cardboard packaging, is also recyclable and can be made from
100% recycled beverage bottle materials.
The crate includes a single sheet that may be thermoformed to
include pockets for receiving two-liter bottles. The crate is not
sufficiently strong and stiff by itself to independently support
the bottles when stacked. Rather, tight tolerances between bottles
and the walls of the pockets and the interaction of the hoop
strength of the peripheral wall with the bottles makes the crate
and bottles as a unit sufficiently strong and stiff for stacking,
carrying and shipping.
Because the crate lacks the reinforcement of the known reusable
crates, it is lighter and less expensive. However, the crate is
also recyclable and can be molded from 100% recycled materials,
such as recycled PET bottles. The crate can be thermoformed, which
means that several versions can be made on the same tooling. For
example, by using thermoformable sheets of higher thicknesses, a
reusable crate may be formed. Thinner sheets can be formed into
single-use crates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages of the present invention can be understood by
reference to the following detailed description when considered in
connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the crate according to one
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the crate of the FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the crate of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a front view of the crate of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the crate of FIG. 1 with a similar
crate nested therein.
FIG. 6 is a section view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the crate of FIG. 1 loaded with
bottles.
FIG. 9 is a section view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the loaded crate of FIG. 8 stacked
on a similar loaded crate.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of crate according to a second
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a crate according to a third
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a section view of a crate being thermoformed.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view a crate according to a fourth
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of the crate of FIG. 14.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a crate according to a fifth
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of the crate of FIG. 16.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a crate according to a sixth
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a crate according to a seventh
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A crate 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention
is shown in FIG. 1. The crate 10 is a single thermoformed sheet
having a plurality of bottle-receiving pockets 12 each defined by a
bottom wall 14 and a generally curved annular pocket wall 16. The
pockets 12 are separated by a plurality of lateral dividers 18 and
a longitudinal divider 20 in a two-by-four arrangement. Although
other arrangements may be utilized, the two-by-four arrangement has
been generally found to be convenient for two-liter bottles.
The crate 10 further includes alternating first upper side walls 22
and second upper side walls 23. The first upper side walls 22 are
generally flat and extend upward and outward from the lateral
dividers 18. The second upper side walls 23 are generally concave
and further define the pockets 12.
Each end of the crate 10 further includes a generally flat first
upper end wall 24 extending upward and outward from the
longitudinal divider 20 and generally concave second upper end
walls 25 on either side of the first upper end wall 24 to further
define the pockets 12.
A peripheral lip 26 protrudes outwardly and then downwardly from
the uppermost edge of the peripheral wall (formed by the first
upper side walls 22 and second upper side walls 23) of the crate
10. Optional nesting stops 28 protrude outwardly from lower
portions of the second upper side walls 23.
Referring to FIG. 2, the longitudinal divider 20 extends from one
first upper end wall 24 to the other. The lateral dividers 18 each
extend from one of the first upper side walls 22 to an opposite
first upper side wall 22. The four non-corner pockets 12 are
defined by the respective bottom wall 14, the pocket wall 16
extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 14 and the
second upper side wall 23 extending upward from a portion of the
pocket wall 16. The four corner pockets 12 are additionally defined
by the second upper end wall 25 extending upward from a portion of
the pocket wall 16 and contiguous with the second upper side wall
23.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the generally annular pocket walls 16
are curved and taper down to the bottom wall 14 for each pocket 12.
The peripheral lip 26 protrudes outward from the ends of the crate
10 (as seen in FIG. 3) more than the sides (as seen in FIG. 4).
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the crate 10 of FIG. 1 with a
similar crate 10' nested therein. The crate 10' in this example is
identical to the crate 10, and corresponding reference numerals
with a prime designation will be used in reference to corresponding
parts. When empty, the crates 10, 10' can be nested in such a
manner so that they occupy less space. The nesting stops 28'
contact the peripheral lip 26 of the lower crate 10 to prevent the
crates 10, 10' from nesting together too tightly so that they are
hard to separate. The nesting stops 28' may not be necessary in
some embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a section view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 through the
nested crates 10, 10'. FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line
7-7 of FIG. 5. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the overall height of
the stacked crates 10, 10' is reduced by the degree to which they
are nested. The bottom walls 14 each include a recess 36 on the
underside for receiving a bottle cap of a bottle on which the crate
10 is stacked. The bottom walls 14 include a narrow annular recess
54, which forms an annular rib 56 on the under side of the bottom
wall 14. The annular ribs 56 receive the bottle caps of the bottles
on which the crate 10 is stacked.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the crate 10 loaded with bottles
50, which in this example are two-liter PET bottles 50. The bottles
50 fit snugly in the pockets 12 of the crate 10 and contact one
another in the crate 10. The bottles 50 are in contact with one
another and are in contact with upper portions of the second upper
side walls 23, particularly adjacent the portion of the second
upper side wall 23 from which the peripheral lip 26 extends. The
snug fit of the bottles 50 inside the crate 10 gives the crate 10
and bottles 50 as a unit the necessary stiffness for handling and
stacking.
FIG. 9 is a section view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8. The
contours of the second upper side wall 23 and the pocket wall 16
match the walls of the bottles 50. The bottles 50 contact one
another over the divider 20 (over the later dividers 18 also). The
bottles 50 also contact the upper portions of the walls adjacent
the peripheral lip 26. The bottom wall 14 includes an upward
generally conical projection 51 that protrudes upwardly into a
recess 52 in the bottom of the bottle 50. The conical projection 51
preferably mates with the recess 52 in the bottom of the bottle 50
as closely as possible, to reduce the stress that would be acting
on the bottom wall 14 from the pulling (stretching) when the crate
10 is resting on a bottlecap of a bottle below, as shown in FIG.
10.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the loaded crate 10 of FIG. 8
stacked on a similar loaded crate 10'. The bottle caps of the
bottles 50 are received in the recesses 36 (FIG. 9) to improve the
stability of the stacked crates 10, 10'.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of crate 110 according to a second
embodiment of the present invention. To the extent not otherwise
described or shown, the crate 110 is identical to the crate 10 of
FIGS. 1-10, with corresponding parts having corresponding reference
numerals preappended with a "1." In this embodiment, the crate 110
includes a center lateral divider 118A that extends upward to the
uppermost edge of the crate 110 to further reinforce the side
walls. Thus, the crate 110 includes eight "corner" pockets 112,
with the center lateral divider 118A acting as another "end wall"
to the two adjacent pairs of pockets 112. Unlike the first
embodiment crate 10, the bottles 50 (not shown in FIG. 11) would
not directly contact one another across the center divider 118A.
The upper horizontal wall portion of the center divider 118A would
contact the bottles 50 in the adjacent pockets 112 to provide
stability to the crate 110 when loaded.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a crate 210 according to a third
embodiment of the present invention, in which all three lateral
dividers 218 extend upward to the uppermost edge of the crate 210
(like the center lateral divider 118A of FIG. 11) to further
improve the stability of side walls of the crate 210.
Referring to FIG. 13, all three embodiments of the crate 10, 110,
210 may be formed from recycled PET bottles 50 or other plastic
material. The crates 10, 110, 210 may be thermoformed on the same
thermoforming form 301 from sheets 300 that are of varying
thicknesses, depending on how the crates 10, 110, 210 will be used
(whether the crates will be reused, the degree of stacking, etc),
such as 0.040'', 0.050'' or 0.060''. Thicker sheets 300 could be
used to create a stiffer, reusable crate capable of higher
stacking. As is known generally in thermoforming, the plastic sheet
300 is heated and then placed on the form 301. A vacuum may be used
to draw the sheet 300 against the form 301. The formed sheet 300 is
then removed (and trimmed, if necessary) to form the crate 10, 110,
210.
FIG. 14 illustrates a crate 310 according to a fourth embodiment of
the present invention. The crate 310 is similar to the crate of
FIG. 11, except as follows. First, the center divider 318A includes
a plurality of scallops 340 across the top of the divider. The
scallops 340 reinforce the center divider 318A against bending
about its axis (i.e. the scallops 340 prevent the four bottles on
one side of the center divider 318A from pivoting about the center
divider 318A relative to the four bottles on the other side of the
center divider 318A).
Additionally, the diamond shaped intersection 342 between the
lateral dividers 318 and the longitudinal dividers 320 each include
a diamond shaped recess 344. The diamond shaped recess 344 includes
substantially vertical interior peripheral walls 346 connected to a
substantially horizontal bottom wall 348. The peripheral walls 346
resist bending of the crate 310 about the axis of the lateral
dividers 318 and the longitudinal dividers 320.
The bottom walls 314 of the pockets 312 include a narrow annular
recess 354, which forms an annular rib 356 on the under side of the
bottom wall 314, as shown in FIG. 15. The annular rib 356 provides
improved interlocking of the bottom wall 314 with the bottle caps
of the bottles on which the crate 310 is stacked. The annular rib
356 feature may be used in any of the crates disclosed herein.
A crate 410 according to a fifth embodiment of the present
invention is shown in FIG. 16. This crate 410 is similar to that of
FIGS. 14 and 15 except as follows. The center divider 418A includes
a substantially horizontal upper surface 460 that includes two
narrow portions 462 and a wide center portion 464. The center
portion 464 is divided by a longitudinal channel 466 defined by
substantially vertical walls 468 continuous with the upper surface
460 of the center divider 418A, and a bottom wall 470 continuous
with the vertical walls 468. The substantially vertical walls 468
provide even more reinforcement to the crate 410 against pivoting
about the axis of the center divider 418A. The wide portion 464 of
the center divider 418A provides increased contact of the center
divider 418A with the bottles in the adjacent pockets 412 and
permits the substantially vertical walls 468 to be longer.
A pair of recesses are formed in the outer portions of the upper
surface 460 of the center divider 418A. These recesses 472 each
include a substantially vertical peripheral walls 474 extending
downward to a substantially horizontal bottom wall 476. The
peripheral walls 474 provide further reinforcement to the crate 410
against bending about the axis of the center divider 418A. FIG. 17
further illustrates the recess 472.
FIG. 18 illustrates a crate 510 according to a sixth embodiment of
the present invention. The crate 510 is substantially similar to
the crate 10 of FIG. 1, except as follows. The diamond shaped
intersections 542 between the lateral dividers 518 and the
longitudinal dividers 520 each include an upwardly projecting pylon
580 having a substantially horizontal upper surface 581 and
substantially vertical (although somewhat tapered, to the extent
required for thermoforming) peripheral walls 582. The peripheral
walls 582 include alternating concave portions 584 aligned with
each of the pockets 512 and flat portions 586 aligned with the
lateral dividers 518 and longitudinal dividers 520. The peripheral
walls 582 of the pylons 580 provide additional support to the
bottles in the pockets 512 and provide resistance to bending of the
crate 510 about any of the lateral dividers 518 or the longitudinal
dividers 520.
A crate 610 according to a seventh embodiment of the present
invention is shown in FIG. 19. The crate 610 includes a center
lateral divider 618A, which includes a substantially horizontal
upper surface 660 having a center wider portion 664 and two narrow
portions 662 aligned with the pockets 612. Optionally, the center
divider 618A may be like the center divider 318A of FIG. 14 or the
center divider 418A of FIG. 16.
In this embodiment, the lateral dividers 618A and longitudinal
dividers 620 are truncated to leave a substantially flat,
horizontal common surface 690 joining the bottom walls 614 of each
of the pockets 612. The pockets 612 are oriented such that the
bottles (not shown) in the pockets 612 would all be in snug contact
with one another to provide strength to the loaded crate 610.
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and
jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are
considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention.
However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced
otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without
departing from its spirit or scope. Alphanumeric identifiers on
method steps are for convenient reference in dependent claims and
do not signify a required sequence of performance unless otherwise
indicated in the claims.
* * * * *